Dial



y 2, 1939- .1. E. CHAMBERS 0 DIAL Filed Aug. 23, 1937 1 INVENTOR.

JHA/E. Cup/vases,

BY My ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 2, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT QFEEQE 2 Claims.

In many situations where a rotatably adjustable element has associated with it a dial indicating its angular position the problem of providing, in the space available, a dial having grad- 5 uations suitably spread is frequently a difiicult one to solve. Considerations of appearance, manufacturing costs, available space, etc., frequently result in a dial of such diameter that the graduations are undesirably close together and .10 figures or other indicia are undesirably small.

It is the object of my invention to produce a dial arrangement in which the spread of graduations on the dial and the size of figures or other indicia borne by the dial are divorced to an ex- 1 tent from considerations of cost, available space,

etc.

More specifically, it is my object to produce a dial arrangement in which, for any given spread of dial graduations, the total amount of space 20 occupied by the indicating mechanism will be smaller than that required in conventional arrangements. A further object of my invention is to produce a dial arrangement or position indicator which is of more attractive appearance 25 than the conventional circular dial and which, at the same time, will indicate any position of the adjustable member throughout its entire range of adjustment up to a full revolution.

In carrying out my invention, I provide the 30 adjustable element with a plurality of indicating hands of different radial lengths, and for each of such hands I provide an arcuate series of dial graduations formed on a radius corresponding to the radial length of the associated hand, each 35 of such arcuate series of .graduations having a total angular extent equal to the full range of adjustment of the adjustable member divided by the number of hands. The several sets or series of dial graduations are angularly co-extensive; and

40 a mask is provided to hide any hand or hands other than that one occupying the angular field in which the several series of dial graduations are located.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an em- 45 bodiment of my invention: Fig. 1 is a fragmental front elevation of a gas range showing my invention as applied to the adjustable member of a clockwork which can be set to perform some desired operation at the expiration of a period of 50 time whose extent is determined by the setting of the adjustable member; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmental front elevation similar to Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 4 is a vertical 55 section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the device illustrated in the drawing the rotatably adjustable element with which my dial arrangement or position indicator is associated is a shaft I0 employed to set a clockwork mechanism II to perform some desired operation at the expiration of a predetermined time. The operation performed is not important in respect to my invention and may, for example, be the ringing of a bell or the turning off of a valve controlling the supply of gas to a gas burner. In the arrangement indicated, the clockwork H is mounted immediately in rear of the back splasher [2 of a gas range 13, while the shaft l0, which controls the setting of the clockwork H, projects forwardly through the plane of the back splasher a short distance above a shelf M, where it is provided with a control knob l5.

In associating my dial mechanism or position indicator with the shaft I!) I mount upon the shaft a plurality of indicating hands which are spaced at equal angular intervals. As indicated in the drawing two such hands 20 and 2|, spaced 180 apart, are employed. In rear of these hands I there is supported a dial plate 22 bearing on its front face two arcuate sets of dial graduations 23 25 and 24. These two sets of dial graduations are formed on different radii, are concentric with the shaft I0, and are each 180 in extent. The hands 20 and 2| are of different lengths, the length of the hand 20 corresponding to the radius of the graduations 23 and that of the hand 2! corresponding to the radius of the graduations 24.

That portion of the dial plate 22 on which the dial graduations 23 and 24 appear is visible from the front of the stove through a generally semicircular sight opening provided in the back splasher l2, the lower edge of such sight opening being disposed closely below the shaft IE) so that either of the ends 20 or 2! which is below the axis of the shaft 10 will be hidden from View. The sight opening in front of the back splasher 12 may have associated with it a cover glass 26 held in place by a suitable escutcheon plate 21.

In the particular arrangement illustrated in the drawing, the shaft I5 is adjustable through substantially a full revolution to provide for any setting of the clockwork H up to sixty minutes. The dial is graduated at one-minute intervals, half of such graduations forming the outer set 23 and the other set forming the inner set 24. For any setting of the shaft It up to thirty minutes, the longer hand 20 will be visible beneath the cover glass 26, while the shorter hand 2! will be hidden behind the back splasher beneath the sight opening. The hands 20 and 2|, or at least the longer hand 20, are desirably made relatively wide and formed with an abruptly pointed end, as indicated; so that when the longer hand 20 is visible beneath the cover glass 26 it will obscure enough of the inner set of graduations 24 to make it apparent that the reading is to be taken from the outer set of graduations. For any setting of the shaft In between thirty minutes and sixty minutes, the longer hand 26 will be hidden behind the back splasher While the shorter hand 2| will be visible beneath the cover glass. As the shorter hand does not extend outwardly beyond the inner set of graduations 24, it is readily apparent that the desired reading is to be obtained from the inner set of graduations.

It will be obvious from Figs. 3 and 4 that if the hand 20 were the only hand employed and that if the set of graduations 23 were continued throughout an entire circumference the shaft it) would have to be elevated materially to provide room for the full set of dial graduations above the shelf M. The visible portion of the dial arrangement has a vertical dimension less than its horizontal dimension, and the device is therefore made adaptable for use in locations where a circular dial of commensurate accuracy could not be placed. Further, the escutcheon plate and the dial are smaller and employ less material than would be the case if the deal were completely circular, and thus contribute to reduced cost.

The specific arrangement illustrated is suitable for use with a control member whose range of adjustment extends throughout a complete revolution. If the control member has a smaller range of adjustment, the angular extent of the several sets of dial graduations is correspondingly shortened. In any case, the angular distance between adjacent indicating hands will be equal to the angular extent of the graduations, so that as one hand moves out of the field occupied by the graduations the next hand will move into that field.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a rotatable control member, a pair of diametrically opposite radial indicating hands rotatable with said control member, said hands being of difierent lengths, a dial plate disposed in rear of said hands, said dial plate being provided with two angularly co-extensive, arcuate scales, said scales being in extent and being formed on radii corresponding respectively to the lengths of said hands, a cover glass for said dial and hands, and means supporting said cover glass, said means including an opaque escutcheon plate having a generally semicircular sight opening to expose said scales while masking the hand not within the limits thereof, said control member projecting forwardly through said escutcheon plate adjacent the straight edge of said sight opening and being there provided with a control knob.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition that the longer of said hands is relatively wide to cover a substantial portion of the inner one of said scales.

JOHN E. CHAMBERS. 

